New Format for the Budweiser Shootout Puts Manufacturers Ahead of Stars

Budweiser announced today that they will introduce a new format for the Budweiser Shootout in 2009.  The race will be extended from 70 to 75 laps, and will feature the top six cars from each manufacturer, meaning the top six Chevys vs the top six Fords, etc. 

What this means is everyone can rest easy without obtaining a Coors Light Pole Award. But it also means some of the big stars of our sport, like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, will miss it due to a manufacturer change. 

As of today, the field would look like this:

Chevy

1. Dale Jr
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Jeff Burton
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Clint Bowyer

Ford

1. Carl Edwards
2. Greg Biffle
3. Matt Kenseth
4. David Ragan
5. Jamie McMurray
6. Travis Kvapil

Dodge

1. Kasey Kahne
2. No. 12 Car (Stremme?)
3. Kurt Busch
4. Elliot Sadler
5. Juan Pablo Montoya
6. Bobby Labonte

Toyota

1. Kyle Busch
2. Joey Logano
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Brian Vickers
5. David Reutimann
6. Micheal Waltrip

I don't know how the rest of you see it, but I see a lot of big names and even bigger sponsors missing off of the list. Therefore, I don't like it! 

Budweiser is showing us their true colors lately. They are selling out, went with the quiet Kasey Kahne (I like Kasey fine, he just isn't quite Budweiser), they dropped the pole award, and now they are screwing up the shootout!

They should at least make it possible to race your way in, like a Shootout Open or something. 

Let's all discuss what this means for the early season chances at Daytona.  Top teams get an extra 75 lap test session in draft conditions, while so many are left to watch.  For a team like Stewart Haas Racing, who will be starting off with a past champion and a current-year pole winner, it could be detrimental to their performance.  Especially since Newman will be starting off outside of the top-35. 

Others watching will be Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin, Robby Gordon, Paul Menard (who won a pole this year also), and many others who could use the race to better their cars.